Weapon Enhancement Bonuses

[casca972]

I have a question regarding adding non-DMG abilities to a weapon. The primary spell in question here in Enervation. Now the DMG provides rules to add the spell to a magic item as a base price but as per the article at the begining of this year by Skip Williams, any spell added which increases it's combat (hit or damage done) should be a Weapon Bonus. Enervation would do 1d4 negative levels of damage extra but I can not seem to find how you determine what the bonus should be.

 

[Corbert]

Since it's not hit point damage and doesn't add a to hit bonus, I would add the spell as a base price.

 

[glass]

Since it's not hit point damage and doesn't add a to hit bonus, I would add the spell as a base price.

I disagree. This ability is obviously much better on a +5 weapon than on a +1 weapon, as it'll inflict its negative levels that much more often. Pricing it as an weapon bonus reflects that.


glass.

 

[Goolpsy]

i would price it as a weapon bonus... but... "This ability is obviously much better on a +5 weapon than on a +1 weapon" isn't really a good argument.. "If i were 4 levels higher.. then the ability should be higher too cause i hit more often and deal more damage"
really....

 

[ARandomGod]

i would price it as a weapon bonus... but... "This ability is obviously much better on a +5 weapon than on a +1 weapon" isn't really a good argument.. "If i were 4 levels higher.. then the ability should be higher too cause i hit more often and deal more damage"
really....

Heheheh.

Burn!

 

[Corbert]

I disagree. This ability is obviously much better on a +5 weapon than on a +1 weapon, as it'll inflict its negative levels that much more often. Pricing it as an weapon bonus reflects that.


glass.

Actually, I think inflicting the negative levels more often is more a function of how often you hit, which is mostly based on class level and 'to hit' bonus.

 

[UltimaGabe]

i would price it as a weapon bonus... but... "This ability is obviously much better on a +5 weapon than on a +1 weapon" isn't really a good argument..

Yes it is, actually.

The reason that some abilities cost flat amounts and others simply add +'s is that certain abilities- such as Shocking Burst- are simply more useful at higher levels, since you're mor eoften to hit more often to get criticals, and so on. Other abilities (such as wearing Glamered armor) really won't be any more effective at higher levels than at lower levels, and therefore shouldn't cost more for a higher level character than a lower-level one. This kind of an ability is the same as Shocking Burst- if you're more likely to hit someone and deal out its effects at higher levels, then it should cost more for a higher-level character- and thus, it should count as a weapon bonus, not a flat-cost ability. Do you think about what you say before you say it?